Buttermilk Pie Crust/Pastry

This is my absolute favorite pastry crust. You can use it for the top and bottom of normal pies.  You can use it for baked turnovers. You can use it for the crust of a quiche.  I love it! I've provided instructions for making the crust using a food processor and making by hand using a pastry cutter.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk Pie Crust/Pastry - This makes enough for a top and bottom crust!

You can make this in a food processor OR by hand.  Both directions are given here.

Make buttermilk (unless you have real buttermilk available):

Put 2-3 tsp. vinegar OR 2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice in a glass measuring cup, and add milk up to 1/3 cup.  (By sitting for 5 minutes, this makes your buttermilk - you can also just use 1/3 cup buttermilk. However, I make mine using lactose-free milk, which works great!)

 
To make in a Food Processor:

In a large food processor put in the following: 

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup white rice flour

½ cup tapioca starch

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup potato starch
¼ - ½ tsp. xanthan gum
(NOTE: You can also use 2 cups Kristin's gluten-free flour mix instead of the flours/xanthan gum listed here)

1 tsp. salt

2/3 cups + 2-3 Tbsp butter (NOT softened, straight from the refrigerator NOT freezer)

2 tsp vegetable oil

 

Turn on the food processor, let mix JUST until a crumbly dough forms.  Turn off immediately. 

If the buttermilk has sat for 5 minutes, add in:
1/3 cup buttermilk.

Turn on the food processor and let mix until just mixed together. If you overmix, it will be gooey. You want to mix it until you see crumbs form and it has barely started to hold itself together in more of a ball. Done!  Do not touch the dough because it warms it up.  Separate into two pieces. 

Roll out a nice big circle between pieces of plastic wrap.I use two pieces overlapping for the bottom and two pieces, overlapping, on top. Make sure you’ve got a circle as bit as your pie dish, plus a little extra.

Remove the plastic from the top.Flip over the dough into the pie dish.Press down on the plastic wrap to get the dough to stick to the pie plate.Remove plastic wrap and carefully shape edges, as desired.

Remember to use the plastic wrap to press down and then use fingers to crimp the edges.

For a pre-baked pie shell, bake at 425F for 15-17 minutes, until nicely browned.Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

Fresh baked and cooling.

If you aren't going to use the dough right away (aka, within 5 minutes or so), you can wrap it in cling
film and leave it in the refrigerator while you prepare your filling.  I sometimes use half one day and save the other to use in a day or two for another recipe.

* Reminder: you want the dough to be cool, so it doesn't get too sticky to work with.

 
To make by hand:

*By-hand alternative: If you don’t have a food processor, just chip in the butter using a pastry cutter until a lot of crumbs form.  Then, blend in the buttermilk with pastry cutter, and then mix by hand (briefly, because you don't want it to warm up), until it’s just barely mixed thoroughly.  (I actually prefer making up my dough this way - less clean-up). Detailed directions are as follows:

 

Mix together in a bowl:

2 cups Kristin’s gluten free flour mix (or flours/xanthan gum as listed above)
1 tsp salt

Chop in with a pastry cutter until you have fine crumbs:

2/3 cup + 2-3 Tbsp butter

Add and mix in with the pastry cutter:

2 tsp oil
1/3 cup buttermilk (can make by mixing 2-3 tsp vinegar + milk, as described above)

Mix as much as you can using the pastry cutter (this keeps the dough cool).

To fully get the dough to form, mix by hand as quickly as possible (so you don’t warm up the dough). Separate into two pieces. You’ll use one for this recipe, and can wrap the other half in plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator to use for another recipe, like a quiche or pie.

Separate your dough into two pieces, wrapping one in plastic wrap and sticking in the refrigerator to use later, if desired.

Roll out a nice big circle between pieces of plastic wrap. I use two pieces overlapping for the bottom and two pieces, overlapping, on top. Make sure you’ve got a circle as bit as your pie dish, plus a little extra.

Remove the plastic from the top. Flip over the dough into the pie dish. Press down on the plastic wrap to get the dough to stick to the pie plate. Remove plastic wrap and carefully shape edges, as desired.

Remember to use the plastic wrap to press down and then use fingers to crimp the edges.

For a prebaked shell, bake at 425F for 15-17 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

Fresh baked and cooling.

 

If you aren't going to use the dough right away (aka, within 5 minutes or so), you can wrap it in cling
film and leave it in the refrigerator while you prepare your filling. 

* Reminder: you want the dough to be cool, so it doesn't get too sticky to work with.

 

*Updated July 3, 2013